Governor Charlie Crist and the governors of Alabama and Georgia have agreed to meet again in December in Tallahassee. They hope to settle a 17-year-old water battle. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would recommend cutting the water flowing into the Apalachicola River by 16 percent, holding more back to provide drinking water for Atlanta. Mark Ferrulo of Environment Florida worries about the impact on the Apalachicola River and Apalachicola Bay.

“The Apalachicola River is one of the most biologically diverse and important water bodies in the entire country,” Ferrulo said. “And it supports a $134 million a year seafood industry in Apalachicola Bay. And this eco-system is already stressed because of lowered water flows. This is definitely going to make things worse.”

90 percent of the fresh oysters that come from Florida are found in the bay.